


A Lesson Learned

by Loveshay



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:06:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25878634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveshay/pseuds/Loveshay
Summary: Rafe learns a valuable lesson about his actions and the consequences it may have on others.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y’all! I’m new to this site! I typically write on another site for a different fandom, but had an OBX request. Someone suggested uploading here so I’m going to give it a shot. This is my first time writing y/n perspective and shorter stories - so bare with me please :)

You didn’t even recognize the girl standing directly in front of you. The sleeked back hair bun is pulled so tight that it’s in stark contrast to the white button down that sat loosely on your thinning frame. This outfit was so formal. So out of character for the girl in the mirror, but you didn’t have a choice. The job at the country club paid well and your family needed the money.

Well, your younger siblings did. Not the two assholes who were technically your parents.

“Y/n?” JJ called from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Yeah?” You questioned as you scrambled to dab the concealer under your eyes trying to hide the dark circles that seemed to be permanent lately. You drag your finger through some blush to try to cover the stubborn fading bruise on your cheek.

“I’m about to head out for my shift at the pool. Just wanted to say hey before I go.” You could hear him lean his body against the door as he spoke. One more look in the mirror gave you the confidence to leave the bathroom before your shift started.

JJ fell backwards as you opened the door, but he caught himself before falling flat on his butt.

“Couldn’t have warned me you were opening the door?” He huffed playfully which caused you to smirk. You were so thankful when JJ told you about the open position at the country club. Even more thankful when they actually hired you. You thought you would be working alongside JJ the whole summer, but they moved him to lifeguard duty shortly after you were hired.

It seemed to go downhill from there, but you were determined to make this job work. You were decent at it and got along with most of the staff.

“Sorry, not sorry.” You shrugged as you stepped past him out of the bathroom.

“Y/n!” A nasally voice called from behind y’all and you had to suppress an eye roll.

“Yes, Mr. Smith?” You turned to see your boss walking down the hallway.

“I went ahead and sat someone at your table. If you could quit flirting with other staff, will you please go begin your shift?” He said pointedly while narrowing his eyes at you.

Alex Smith hadn’t liked you since your first day of training. He was just another server at the time, but was promoted to server manager almost a month ago. Ever since then, he was constantly hounding you for no reason. Any chance to publicly humiliate you, he took it. It was like he was just waiting for you to mess up so he could fire you.

You looked over at JJ who looked absolutely taken back by Alex’s behavior. Y’all had talked about your shitty managers behavior, but he hadn’t witnessed it until today. He was about to open his mouth, but you quickly cut him off.

“Um, sure. Let me clock in and I’ll head right out there.” You tried to keep your voice neutral as you slipped past both men towards the dining room, lightly brushing your hand against JJs.

When you made it to the dining room, your eyes scanned the room before stopping on the one table in your area that was occupied. Annoyance radiated through your body as you saw the biggest douchebags sitting in your section.

Rafe Cameron, Topper Thornton and Kelce Davis were some of your least favorite people on the island. The Kook leaders had made your friends' lives hell for years. There was absolutely no reason for them to hate you, but that didn’t stop them from being nasty. All they knew was daddy’s money and booze. They had no idea how the other half lived and frankly didn’t care.

Thankfully, you had actually avoided them as a group since you got this job. You had waited on the Davis and Thornton families separately this past month and you had been too tired to attend any parties at the boneyard.

It had been a nice break while it lasted.

Now, here they were and they looked up to no good. You took a deep breath and made your way over to their table.

“Hey guys, what can I get you to drink?” You questioned while looking around the table waiting on one of them to start.

“We want a bottle service of Grey Goose with limes and lemon.” Rafe said casually while looking over the menu. Your eyes bounced over to Topper and Kelce who both quickly averted their eyes to their menus as well.

“You know I can’t do that.” Your eyes landed back on Rafe.

“Why not?” He met your gaze, a cocky smirk forming at his lips.

“Your underage.” You answered slowly as if he didn’t get it. He laughed loudly at your response with the other two laughing behind their menus.

“Do you know who my parents are? We practically own this place.” His voice carried through the dining room and a few other guests turned your way.

“Please, what can I get you to drink that is non-alcoholic?” You tried again hoping your manager wasn’t headed your way.

“I’ll take a coke.” Topper spoke like he wasn’t just trying to get vodka on bottle service.

“I’ll do a sweet tea.” Kelce chimes in and looks over to Rafe. Rafe chuckles and shakes his head.

“I’ll take a shirley temple.” He says dryly as his eyes turn a shade darker when they look up at you. You nod your head and head to get their drinks.

“I fucking hate those kids.” Another server says in passing as you fill up their drinks.

“You have no fucking idea.” You reply. Once the drinks are filled, you head back over to their table. You set them down in order of who ordered first. As soon as you set Rafes drink down, you hear a metal clashing as it hits the floor.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to knock my silverware over. Do you mind picking it up for me?” He deadpans as he sips his pink drink.

“Sure, no problem.” You say as you kneel down to pick up the silverware like the good little server you were. Before you even get a chance to grab them, you feel ice cold liquid rushing down the front of your shirt and a gasp leaving your lips.

The whole dining room goes silent.

You kneel there for a second, mouth wide open in shock at what just happened. You look up at him as he stares down at you.

“That’s a shame, that pink will probably stain. I bet vodka wouldn’t have done that.” He cocks his head to the side as if he just taught you a valuable lesson.

You stand up and feel the once baggy shirt cling to your body. No doubt your lace bra is showing through the drenched fabric.

“Seriously?” You say as quietly as you can while throwing the silverware on his lap.

“What’s going on over here?” Alex walks over to the scene that’s unfolding. Your mouth opens to respond but Rafe beats you to it.

“I accidently spilled my drink on her and she threw my silverware at me.” Rafe says while looking at you as if you were absolutely crazy.

“That is not how it happened.” You bite back.

“I apologize Mr. Cameron. I’ll have someone switch your table and get you new drinks. As for you, you are suspended without pay for the rest of the day.” Alex says as his eyes light up when they land on me.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You say in disbelief. Your eyes swing over to Topper and Kelce hoping that they have a come to Jesus moment and be honest. But they don’t. They can’t even make eye contact with you.

A Kook never betrays another Kook.

“That’s it. You're fired. You don’t talk like that to your manager.” Alex says smugly as he gets what he has been wanting for weeks.

“You can’t fire me over this. He spilled his drink-” you try to explain once more, but your manager is having none of it.

“I am firing you over this. Go get your stuff out of your locker and leave the premises before I call security to escort you out.” Alex says with finality before turning to walk away. You watch his figure retreat while trying your hardest to keep yourself from crying. Tears well up in your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall.

No way in hell will you give them that satisfaction.

You turn around and make sure to make eye contact with each one of these assholes who just cost you your job. When your eyes land on Rafe, a million and one things run through your mind to say to him.

You could tell him how the money from this job keeps your siblings fed and clothed.

How your mom is going to make sure you know how badly you fucked up for months after this.

Or you could tell him how your step dad is most likely going swing on you when he finds out you were fired.

But only four words slip out of your mouth as a tear falls down your cheek.

“Fuck you Rafe Cameron.”

You don’t even wait for his reaction before heading to get your stuff and out the front door.


	2. two

Rafe plopped down on the couch the next morning, completely exhausted and stomach hurting. He chalked it up to all the beer he drank yesterday when he played golf with Kelce and Topper. That plus the blazing heat could be a deadly combination.

Yeah, that was probably it.

“Rafe” his dad called from the chair across from him, slowly peeking over the newspaper at him.

“Dad” he said back with a tip of his head. Ward shook his head before lifting the paper back up.

Rafe sat there a few more minutes, closing his eyes as his stomach turned. He could hear Rose come into the room, chatting with his dad about a new property they had their eyes on.

His brain wondered to the little white packet he had in his truck and how long that would last him since Barry was out of town. He could possibly make it work through the weekend if he didn’t share with Top and Kelce.

He jolted up as the front door slammed. He shared a look with his father before being greeted with a teary eyed Sarah.

“What did you do, Rafe?” She asked sadly.

“What?” He asked as he sat up a little straighter. It could honestly be a whole list of things, but he hopes it has nothing to do with his new party favor.

“You got y/n fired from the country club.” Sarah shouted which caused Ward to lower his paper fully. He didn’t move or speak as he watched his sister sit in the chair next to their father.

“Since when do you care so much about a pogue?” Was all he could ask, trying to deflect the situation onto Sarah. Ward has no idea that his sister had begun to slum it with John B and the rest of his little hoodlum gang.

“She’s my friend and you have no idea what chain reaction you’ve caused.” She was full on crying now, her breathing becoming erratic.

“Sarah, honey, calm down. Take some deep breaths.” Rose kneeled next to her. He rolled his eyes at his dramatic sister and fake ass step mom who tried way too hard to be their real mom.

“She got herself fired. I didn’t do anything.” He said casually, shrugging as if it wasn’t that big of a deal. He could feel Ward staring him down waiting on a full explanation and the truth.

He knew his son too well.

“You spilled your drink on her after she wouldn’t bring you bottle service because you're underage!” Sarah half shouted before he could even start lying. “And when- when she tried to explain what happened to her boss he fired her for how she tried to stick up for herself.”

“She’ll find another job, Sarah. It isn’t that big of a deal. Her actions got her fired, not me.” His stomach pain was getting worse as he tried to point out he didn’t technically fire her.

“You said something about a chain reaction. What happened, Sarah?” Ward asked cautiously while still eyeing his oldest child.

Sarah looked around the room, tears still silently falling down her face. Snot was starting to come out of her nose while her eyes were bloodshot red.

“Her step dad hit her when he found out she was fired. Her mom threatened to kick her out if she didn’t find another job by next week. I think y/n is the only reason her siblings even eat and have clothes.” Sarah said in the smallest voice.

The room was deadly quiet as that information sunk in. He knew his stomach pains were from his actions yesterday as he felt like he was going to throw up all over Rose’s imported rug.

He closed his eyes as he pressed his palms into his eye sockets. He willed the tears that were threatening to form to go away. No way was he about to cry for the first time ever. Especially over a pogue.

His mind starts to think of all the times he’s seen her with bruises on her face and body. He just thought she was rowdy like the rest of her friends, always looking for a fight.

He never expected this.

“Are you sure her step father hit her?” Ward asks

“I’m sure. It’s not the first time.” Sarah said as if she was ashamed to even know.

“Why hasn’t she gone to the cops?” Rose questions from besides Sarah.

“I think she’s afraid he will start swinging on her younger siblings if she tells someone and is removed from the home. She does everything for those kids.” Sarah says before looking up to him.

“You have to fix this Rafe. Please get her job back at the country club.” She pleads with him.

Ward stands up and gives him a look that makes his stomach drop even further. He stands and follows his dad into his office.

“What the fuck, Rafe?” Ward questions even though it is more of a statement.

“I know, Dad, I know. I’m sorry. I would have never done it if I knew this would happen.” And surprisingly it’s the truth.

“That’s the thing. You never know what someone else is going through, but you continue to do it anyways.” His father shakes his head and he can feel the disappointment radiating off of him in waves.

“Why go after her like that? I can maybe understand why you fight with the guys. One side of the island against the other side. But why her? What has she ever done to you?” Ward questions as he pours himself a drink.

He sits down on the sofa in his father's office as his mind tries to come up with a reason. Rafe can’t tell his father that one time he asked her to dance at the boneyard and she sweetly told him no. She tried to say it was because she hurt her ankle. He thought she was just being an asshole who didn’t want anything to do with him then. Now, he realizes she was probably actually hurt at the hands of her step father.

Rafe also can’t tell his father that he was pretty sure she was with JJ Maybank. The one pogue you despised the most. Which made him hate her even more.

Ward realizes his son doesn’t have a reason and chugs the rest of his drink not caring it’s before 10 in the morning.

“I promise I’ll fix it dad. I’ll make this right.” Another thing he actually means. He had never felt obligated to do the right thing in his life, but that was all about to change because of y/n.

“Rafe” Ward calls out as he is leaving the office. “Enough of the pogue and kook shit. That stuff ends today.”

All he can do is nod his head as he turns to leave. He finds Sarah in the same spot he left her earlier.

“Do you know where y/n is right now?” He questions as he sits in the chair next to her.

“She’s not answering my text messages.” She says while shaking her head no.

“Alright, I’m headed to the country club to see if I can get her job back. Want to ride with me? If she responds to you, we can go see her.” He stands to grab the keys from the coffee table.

“You go ahead. I’ll call you if she responds though.” She won’t make eye contact with him and it just adds to the pile of shit he already feels terrible for. He’s never cared what his sister thought of him before, but now it hurts.

Just another person disappointed in Rafe Cameron.

“Sarah” he calls her name and she finally looks at him. “I’m going to fix this. I promise.”

She shakes her head solemnly, very reminiscent of their father. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep Rafe.” Is all she says before heading to her bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️


	3. three

“Alex!” Rafe calls from the front area of the dining room. Alex spots him immediately and rushes over to him. 

Being a Cameron does payoff sometimes. 

“Hey man, you got a second to talk about what happened yesterday?” He asks while walking to the front porch of the club adding a hand to Alex’s shoulder for good measure. 

“Sure, what’s up?” Alex questions

“I need you to give y/n her job back. What happened yesterday was my fault. Not hers.” Rafe explains what really happened yesterday hoping it will be enough for Alex not to question it. 

It’s not. 

“Honestly” Alex says while looking like he could care less what the really truth is “What happened yesterday is done. Even if all that didn’t happen she still shouldn’t have talked to me that way.”

“But she wouldn’t have reacted that way if I didn’t start it. This is on me, not her.” Rafe says. He wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult. 

“Look, i'm not hiring her back. I’ve been trying to get rid of her since she started here.” Alex admits smugly thinking they have a common ground here. They usually would, but he feels his annoyance growing by the minute. 

“What has she done to you that you’ve been gunning for her?” He questions and the irony isn’t completely lost on him. 

“She’s just too fucking nice and tries way too hard man. It’s fucking annoying.” Alex says it like y/n niceness is the end of the world. 

“You don’t like her because- because she’s too nice?” Rafe thinks he may have misunderstood.

“Yeah. It’s really no different than why you and your friends hate her. Bitches like her don’t belong in places like this.” And with a shrug of his shoulders, Alex turns to walk back inside. 

“Fuck!” He shouts before climbing back in the truck and peeling out of the club. He punches the steering wheel, needing to let out the anger that is pumping through his veins. 

The Rafe Cameron from yesterday would have knocked that lowlife fucker flat on his back for not doing what he asked. Hell, he still feels like he should have. But it wouldn’t have solved anything. He needs to get y/n her job back. Not completely burn all ties for her. 

The phone rings through the speakers and he answers without glancing at the caller id. 

“What!”

“Damn, country club. What’s crawled up your ass and died?” Barry cackles through the truck. 

“You need something Barry?”

“Oh, someone’s a little testy today. I was just letting you know I’m back early. Come get your weekly plug before it’s gone.” Barry says. He completely forgot about the stash sitting in his console. Maybe a hit would give him a moment of peace so he can figure out how to fix the shit he’s caused. 

Maybe it will also stop the image of y/n getting hit that keeps playing on repeat in his head. 

“I’m on my way.” Is all he says before hanging up. He momentarily feels better. Like the white powdery substance will solve all his problems. He turns up the radio, letting Nirvana spill from his speakers then rolls down the windows. 

He’s through town and turning down the side road that cuts by the airport. It’s a shortcut to Barry’s and the other side of the island. It’s typically used as a walkway now instead of an actual road. 

But he doesn’t care. The quicker he gets to Barry’s, the quicker his problems are solved. 

He’s halfway down the road when he passes her, slamming on the brakes and whipping his head around to make sure his eyes aren’t playing tricks on him. They aren’t and he thanks the lord for placing him in his path. 

Rafe throws the truck in reverse and catches up with her quickly. 

“Y/n!” He hollers as he sticks his head out of the truck window when he stops next to her. 

Her eyes grow wide when she realizes who is calling her name. She looks exhausted with her hair up in a messy bun, jean shorts loose on her waist and old converse that look like they’ve walked hundreds of miles. Her Aerosmith t-shirt hides her small frame, but not the white bikini straps peeking out the top. 

They stare at each other for what seems like hours, but couldn’t be more than a few seconds before she takes off into the woods next to the airport. Running like her life depended on it. 

He hops out of the truck, leaving the keys in the ignition and takes off after her through the thick lined trees. 

“Wait! Y/n, please stop!” Rafe begs as he can’t seem to completely catch up with her. 

He thought he was a fast runner, playing receiver in high school and running track. But he’s no match to her. 

For a moment, he thinks there is no way to catch up and stop her. Then she slides to a halt when they reach the airport fence that was put up recently. 

She turns around quickly, putting her arms up in a standard fighting stance. 

“Leave me the fuck alone Rafe!” She spits out defensively. He almost laughs at the petite girl standing before him and if he wasn’t trying to catch his breath he just might have. 

Then he makes eye contact with her. He can tell she’s trying to hide it, but she’s scared. Scared of him. He knew he was a huge asshole that was ready to fight the guys anytime of the day, but he wasn't fucked up enough to hit a girl. 

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He says as he puts his hands up in front of him to show he’s not here to fight. His words don’t relax her though. 

“Yeah, okay. You just chased me through the woods for shits and giggles?” She asks sarcastically and he wants to smile at the phrase. It’s something he hasn’t heard since his mom was alive. 

“I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” He tells her truthfully as he takes a step back creating even more space between them. She mimics him by attempting to take a step back also. Her backpack hits the fence and her body moves into the shadow of a tree. She wipes the side of her face with her shoulder, both of them dripping sweat in the island heat. 

That’s when he sees it. A deep purple and blue line under her eye. She must have tried to cover it with makeup and forgot when she wiped her face. 

He feels the anger from earlier boil through his veins. 

He starts pacing then, clenching his fists and running his hands through his hair. Every emotion he could possibly feel is running through his body making him feel wild. Out of control. He feels like he could throw up everything he’s had in the past 24 hours, but it ends up just being word vomit. 

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry that I got you fired.” He throws his hands up in surrender to everything he’s feeling. “I’m fucking sorry. If I would have known what was going to happen, I would have never done it.” His voice is pleading as his honest apology falls from his lips. He stops pacing, arms falling limply to his sides. All he can see is that fucking bruise under her eye and it makes him sick. He wonders if there are more under her clothes. 

He feels like he could commit murder every time he sees it. 

“What do you mean if you knew what was going to happen?” She asks suspiciously while narrowing her eyes. 

“Sarah told me what happened with your step dad.” He admits quietly and her shoulders deflate at his words. 

“She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone.” She says more to herself than him as she looks down. Her small hand grazes over the bruise lightly. Like she knows the spot by memory. 

“I’m glad she did. I want to fix this and make it right.” He tells her honestly. She looks up at him. Confusion all over her face. 

“You want to fix this?” She questions as if it’s such a foreign idea. Rafe Cameron doesn’t fix things. He only destroys them when things don’t go his way. It was exactly why they were here. 

“Yeah, I want to fix this.” He takes a small step forward. “Please let me fix this.” 

“How?” Her eyebrows furrow together. 

“Want me to kill him?” It’s out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He’s about to apologize for the word vomit when she surprises him by snorting out a laugh and eyes lighting up playfully. 

“That would be too easy.” She counters and he can’t help but smile.

“Okay, murder is off the table. I tried to get your job back at the country club, but Alex wasn’t having it.” He says. 

“I’m not surprised. He’s had it out for me since I started working there.” She shrugs. 

“I’m going to find you a new job, I promise.” It’s quiet for a moment before she speaks again. 

“I don’t need your help Rafe. I’ll find another job-” she says before he tries to cut her off. She holds up a hand effectively silencing him. “The only thing I really need from you is to leave the Pogues alone-”

“Done” he does cut her off that time. She squints her eyes at him skeptically. “I promise, I’m done. I’ll tell them that to their face. Also, I’ll make sure Topper and Kelce don’t cause any trouble as well.” He promises and actually means it. He offers his hand to shake like it's an official deal they’ve closed. She takes it reluctantly, eyes still skeptic. 

The sound of another airplane taking off breaks them apart. 

“We should probably get back.” She says while motioning back toward the road. 

“Shit. I just fucking left my truck there.” He knows he should care a little more, but he doesn’t. If the truck was there or not, this would still be worth it. He feels something he’s never felt before. 

He’s proud of himself. He fixed something all on his own with no one's help. Well, no one’s help yet. 

They walk back through the woods much slower than how they went in before. He apologizes again and she tells him she accepts as long as he keeps his promise about the pogues. 

He will. 

The truck is how he left it once they make it back. He offers to drive her home, but she declines even when he asks a few more times. She begins to turn away when she stops and steps closer to his window. 

“Rafe?” The way she says his name makes the pain in his chest hurt a little less. It’s much softer than the venomous way she said it yesterday. 

“Yeah?” 

“Please don’t tell anyone about..” she motions to her face as she tries to find the words, like it's more painful to say it out loud then live it “my home life.” 

“I won’t.” And just to show he means it, he sticks out his hand with only his pinky extended. It’s something him and Sarah used to do when they were much younger. 

Her eyes light up a little bit as she twists her finger around his. She pulls away all too soon though and starts walking back down the road. He turns around and heads home to speak to his dad about the next part of his plan. 

For the first time in a while, he forgets all about Barry’s and the white powdery substance he was slowly becoming addicted to.


	4. four

Instead of walking home, you walk to the chateau knowing most of your friends would be there. You only needed to see one person anyways and boy did you have a lot to say.

Pope and Kie were swinging in the hammock when you walked up. They both say hey, but you walk straight past them. You can feel their confusion as you march up the porch steps on a mission and then hear as they quickly scramble to follow you. 

They’ve seen that look before. Shit was about to go down. 

John B and JJ were sprawled out on the couch. Sarah was making something in the kitchen. Her eyes find yours as you step into the house with Kie and Pope close behind you. Sarah’s eyes go wide when she sees the look on your face. 

“Where the hell have you been all morning?” JJ is the first to speak completely oblivious to the growing tension between you and the middle Cameron child. 

“Oh, you know. Just being chased by Rafe Cameron through the woods by the airport.” You say without your eyes leaving Sarah’s. 

There’s a collective chorus of what the fuck and are you okay. JJ gets up to physically look you over for any sign that Rafe hurt you. Before he can even see the bruise on your face you take a step towards Sarah and out of his grasp. Sarah immediately takes a step back, eyes still wide as she audibly swallows the lump in her throat. 

“You fucking told him?” 

“I, um-” Sarah stutters as she tries to find the words to explain. 

“I feel like we’re missing something here.” Pope pipes up from behind you and you can hear Kie shush him. Your cheeks heat up when you remember you have an audience. 

No one else knows what your home life is like. Well, you're sure they know something is going on, but you doubt they suspect you're a human punching bag for your step father. 

And Sarah Cameron only knows because she walked in on you in the bathroom last night when you were reapplying makeup to cover the bruises. She wouldn’t let it go until you told her what happened. Then she promised she wouldn’t tell a soul. 

Even sealed it with a pinky promise. You guess the Cameron siblings do have something in common after all. 

“Why don’t y’all go outside and talk this out?” John B says as he nods his head towards the front of the house when he notices the pink tint rising up your cheeks. 

Thankfully one of the pogues knows how to read a room. 

You turn around, making your way back out the front door and down the steps. You want to put as much space between you and the rest of the pogues as possible. 

Two people too many already know your darkest secret and you aren’t about to let anyone else find out. 

“Do you think they are going to fight?” You hear Pope ask from inside the house. 

“I got twenty on y/n. Sarah doesn’t stand a chance.” JJ chimes in and you can’t help but smirk. 

“Hey, I heard that!” Sarah shouts back towards the house and flips the bird. 

You make it to the dock and sit down at the end, letting your feet swing above the water. Sarah sits next to you, her body only a few inches from yours. 

“I’m so sorry y/n, honestly. I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone, but it was all I could think about this morning. Not only did my brother cause you to lose your job but also got you hurt…” she lets her words drift off as tears fill her eyes. She takes a moment to collect herself before continuing. 

“I cried the whole way home this morning. Then I saw his truck when I got home and I lost it. I just wanted him to fix it and understand what he caused. Rafe has never cared for anyone else in the world. When I told him what your step dad did to you, he looked like he was going to throw up. I think this is the first time he realized his actions have consequences.” Sarah finishes as she clears the emotion out of her throat. 

“I guess I can understand why you did it, but I still hate that you did it.”

“I shouldn’t have done it. All it did was cause Rafe to chase you through the woods apparently. Did he hurt you?” She questions, looking you over just like JJ. 

“No, he apologized and said he would fix this. I also got him to promise that would leave the pogues alone for good.” You say with an eye roll. You doubt he actually keeps that promise. 

“Well, maybe he means it.” Sarah says hopefully. She’d be happy for no more fighting between the two groups now that she was an official member of the pogues. 

It grows silent between you two for a moment as you look out at the water. It’s so hot today that you wish you were at the beach instead of dealing with this shit. 

“I promise I won’t tell anyone else” Sarah says sincerely while grabbing your hand. 

“You better not.” You don’t turn to look at her, afraid she might see the emotion swimming behind your eyes, but you do squeeze her hand back. 

“And if we can’t get your job back at the country club we will find something else. Something better.” 

“Oh yeah, like what?” You question. 

“Rose was looking for an assistant not too long ago.” She says and you can’t stop the grimace your face makes, causing you both to laugh. When you turn your head to look at her, her laughter dies abruptly. 

“Where’s your makeup bag?” Her tone is serious as she stands up quickly and looks back towards the chateau. 

“It’s in my backpack on the front porch. Why?” You watch in confusion as she sprints toward the house, grabbing the backpack and returning in just a few seconds. She sits back down, pulls out your makeup bag and finds the concealer inside. 

“Your bruise is showing.” She gestures while opening the concealer. She puts some on her hand then pauses and looks back at the house. 

“I know they are watching, nosey little fuckers. Do you have a towel you could hold up while I put this on?” She nods towards your backpack. Thankfully, you do. You hold it behind both of you, effectively blocking the view from the rest of the pogues. 

“I bet 20 that JJ asks if we made out.” You say hoping it lightens air around you. 

“Deal” she says as she moves to put on the concealer. She tenderly dabs under your eye, covering evidence of your darkest secret with Maybelline Number 25. 

“They’ll never know.” Sarah says confidently as she puts the concealer back in the bag. You lower the towel and take a glance back at the house half expecting JJ to be standing a few feet behind you. 

“Thanks.” You say while standing up with Sarah following your lead. You both head back towards the house and you hear the four bodies inside the house shuffling around. No doubt trying to act as if they weren't at the door trying to listen. 

Once inside you take note of your friends and try not to laugh. Kie and Pope are sitting on the couch, bodies stiff like mannequins. John B is inspecting the collection of pictures on the wall as if it’s the first time he’s ever seen them. 

And JJ… JJ is the most noticeable of them all. He is in the recliner with a fisherman magazine in his hands. Upside down. His knee is bouncing as he flips a page. He glances up at you then to Sarah then back to you. 

You already know what he’s about to say before the words come tumbling out of his mouth.

“So, uh, were y’all making out down there?” He questions, eyes bright as if he is picturing it in his head like the horny teenager he is. 

“Fuck, I owe you $20.” Sarah says with an eye roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I have a question. Someone suggested I start writing on tumblr as well.   
> Do any of you write there? Is it easy? Pros/Cons?? Any feedback would be helpful ❤️


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a filler chapter of sorts ❤️

JJ absolutely hated working more than anything. Well, not more than his dad, but it was a close second. Working at the country club had its benefits though. He was popular among all his coworkers and most of the members like him.

Most of the female members liked him anyways.

It made working a little easier. He was still outside sitting next to a beautiful size Olympic pool most of the time since he was promoted to lifeguard from the dining room. He passed the certification with flying colors.

It was about the only test he cared to pass.

He was done with his shift, heading outside towards his bike when he saw the last person he wanted to see. Rafe Cameron was sitting on a bike parked right next to his. When he saw JJ approaching, he quickly hopped off and set his helmet down on the seat.

“Trying to get me to beat your ass at my job so I’ll get fired also?” JJ sneers. He subconsciously fixes all his rings so they will leave a lasting impression on the kook king's face.

“No, I’m not here to fight.” Rafe says as he places his hands up in front of him in a show of surrender.

“Too bad, I’m still gonna kick your ass for getting y/n fired.” JJ said while moving towards Rafe. Fuck this job and the money that came with it.

“Will you fucking stop! I promised y/n I would leave you guys alone and I don’t plan on breaking that promise anytime soon.” Rafe shouted as he backed away from the fired up blonde.

JJ halted while his face scrunched up in confusion.

“Is this a trap? Are your goons around?” He flicked his eyes all around him just waiting for the kook gang to pop out from somewhere.

“No, it’s just me. I need your help.” Rafe said like it wasn’t the craziest thing in the world.

“Did you fucking hit your head recently?” JJ asked. It was the only logical reason Rafe Cameron would be asking him for help. Rafe let out a sigh at how this was harder than he thought it would be.

“I didn’t hit my head. Look, I need to get y/n her job back or at least another job. I have a plan, but I need your help.”

JJ furrowed his brows at how sincere Rafe sounded. He didn’t want to help the asshole, but when it came down to y/n he would do anything for her. She was one of his best friends and he hated that Alex ended up firing her. But he had to be sure Rafe wasn’t tricking him.

“You're not going to try to start a fight? And this isn’t a set up?” JJ questioned.

“No, Ashton Kutcher. This isn’t punk'd.” Rafe couldn’t help but laugh at the pogue.

“Alright, what’s your plan?”

The two boys discussed the plan to get y/n her job back at the country club whether it be in the dining room or somewhere else on the property. It was Rafes last resort before going to Ward directly to handle this. The Cameron’s basically ran this country club and was best friends with the president. Ward could get y/n her job back with a phone call. He wasn’t opposed to that, but his plan required a little payback to the person who also played a part in y/n losing her job.

If Rafe could pull this off, it would be a win/win situation for everyone involved.

Well, everyone except Alex.

—

It’s been a few days since you’ve been fired. You’ve applied at every job in town and asked a few of the locals to keep an ear out for anyone hiring. It was tiring, knowing every day you didn’t find something was another day your stepdad was going to hit you.

The only relief came when you were out with your friends or he was too high to know what was even going on. His drug use had become over problematic lately. Even your mom had become annoyed with him and his constant need to push the boundaries of his drug experimentations.

You were currently at home babysitting, waiting for your mom to get back from the store so you could head over to The Wreck to meet your friends. Thankfully your stepdad has disappeared early this morning so it was only you and your siblings at home. It was peacefully quiet while y’all colored at the kitchen table until your phone rang. You didn’t recognize the number, but decided to answer it anyways.

“Hello?”

“Y/n, Hi. This is Walt Sutherland, president of the country club” a deep southern voice spoke through the phone. Your brows furrowed as you stood up to step away from the table. Why in the world would he be calling?

“Um, hi Mr. Sutherland.”

“I’m calling regarding your job in the dining room. It was brought to my attention that you were wrongfully fired after an accident with one of our guests. Does that ring a bell?”

“Yes, sir. It does.” You answer truthfully unsure if you should tell him what really happened.

“Several of the staff have reported the dining room manager for a whole list of things. One that was brought up on every single complaint was your firing. Most employees were horrified by what happened to you and feared the same would happen to them.” He explains and you're still confused on what this has to do with you.

“I don’t think I understand.” You offer up quietly.

“Well, after thorough review of every complaint we decided it would be best to let Alex go. He was actually stealing money from the dining room. The complaints just sealed his fate.” He actually sounds quite giddy when he tells you about Alex.

“I’m glad you were able to get rid of him. Especially if he was stealing.” You say and he actually chuckles.

“Me too. Now, that brings me back to you Miss y/l/n. I want to apologize for how you were fired and the incident that took place that day. It should have never happened. With that being said, I have an opening at the pool if you're interested.” He says and you almost pass out in the kitchen from his words.

“But I’m not certified to be a lifeguard.” It was the only thing stopping you from quickly accepting the position.

“Can you swim?”

“Like a fish.” You say and he laughs at your quick response.

“Perfect, we will certify you here. Can you start on Monday?”

You work out the details of what you will need to do on Monday and thank him profusely before ending the call. You feel the tears sting your eyes as you feel like the weight you were carrying since being fired is finally lifted.

Maybe your mom will be proud of you for getting a job back at the club. Maybe your stepdad will keep his hands to himself for a while.

The one thing you do know for sure is that Rafe Cameron kept his promise to fix this.


	6. six

After lunch at The Wreck, you, Pope and John B spent the day on the boat. You finally felt like you could live your life without fear anymore now that you had a job again. The Pogues were excited when you told them the news over lunch and y’all had planned on celebrating at the kegger later that night. 

The two people who you hadn’t told about the good news were JJ and Rafe. JJ was at work all day and you were sure Rafe already knew. It was because of him you even had a job again. But you still wanted to tell him yourself and thank him for making it happen. 

When you finally get to the kegger down at the boneyard later that night, your eyes immediately find Kie over by the drink stand. 

“Y/n!” She shouts already a little tipsy as she spills her drink when she sees you. 

“Kie, we missed you on the boat today.” Kie had to pick up an earlier shift so she could be off tonight. 

“Well, I’m not missing out on surfing tomorrow. Want a beer?” She asks at the same time she hands you a cup full of cold beer. 

“Where’s J?” You question as your eyes scan the crowd for your blonde best friend. You could have easily texted him the good news, but you wanted to tell him everything Mr. Sutherland told you. 

“He was down by fire with John B a few seconds ago.” Pope says as he walks up behind you, swinging his arms around Kie. She gives him a look that makes even you blush, taking it as your cue to leave. You head towards the fire, but before you can find your friends you spot a tall, broad figure down by the water all alone. 

“If it isn’t my hero.” You say coming to stand next to him. He smiles when he sees you, the moonlight lighting up his sharp features. 

“I can’t tell if you're being sarcastic or not.” He admits truthfully and you can’t fault him. It’s not every day you call your once arch nemesis your hero. 

“I’m being serious. Mr. Sutherland called this morning and offered me a job.” 

“Wait, what?” He questions, turning his whole body towards you. Your brows furrow at his reaction. Didn’t he know?

“Um, yeah. He said every employee filed a complaint against Alex-” you start to explain but he cuts you off. 

“Holy shit. It worked?” He says more to himself than you. His eyes widen and mouth drops open as if he’s shocked. 

Before you know it, he’s dropped the red solo cup in his hand and he’s picking you up. He twirls you around for a few seconds, gripping you tightly as he laughs like the weight of the world is lifted off his shoulders as well. He finally places you back on the sand, but his large hands linger on your arms. 

“I’m confused.” 

“I told you I’d get your job back.” He smiles and you can’t fight the smile that makes it way onto your face. You’ve never seen Rafe look so carefree. His shoulders are relaxed for the first time and his smile looks so pure. 

“But you didn’t know until I just told you?” 

“No, I came up with the plan, but left the rest up to JJ. It was the last resort before involving my dad and I didn’t think you would like that too much.” 

“JJ?” You question turning to look for your original target tonight and making Rafes hands fall away from you. “You and JJ worked together to get my job back?” 

“Yeah, even though he thought I was setting him up. He eventually came around and rallied the troops at the club. I didn’t think Walt would reach out to you though. Kind of figured Melinda in the office would handle it.” He runs a hand through his ungelled hair. 

You can’t stop the emotion rising inside you. JJ and Rafe hate each other more than anyone else on this island. But they both came together to help you? What universe is this?

“Wait!” You shout in a panic, stepping closer to Rafe and gripping his arm tightly. “You didn’t tell him about my stepdad did you?” You can feel the anxiety start to fester in your stomach at the potential of someone else knowing your darkest secret. 

“Fuck no. I keep my pinky promises.” He looks down at your hand on his arm. It’s different than something he’s ever felt before. Your touch is warm, but still makes goosebumps cover his skin. The relieved smile you shoot his way just adds to it. 

“Okay, good.” You squeeze his arm gently before letting go. You look back towards the party again hoping to find JJ so you can thank him as well. 

“Hey” Rafe says, trying to draw your attention back on him “Do you have plans tomorrow?” 

He doesn’t know why he asked. He has caused you so much pain recently and has tormented your friend group for years. When your eyes swing back to his, he’s positive you might laugh at him for even asking. 

“It’s surf day.” You say like he should know it’s something you and the pogues do every second weekend of the month. It was the only day you all made plans to be there without jobs or anything else getting in the way. 

“Oh, right.” He tries to school his features to not look disappointed, but you can clearly see right through it. 

“Why don’t you, Topper and Kelce come? Maybe bring some pizzas around lunch. It can be a peace treaty of sorts.” 

“Your friends would just let us crash?” He raises an eyebrow. 

“I’ll talk to them. I’ll also tell Sarah. Maybe she can come with y’all so they don’t think you messed with the pizzas or something.” You scrunch your nose up at the thought. Kie is not going to touch anything from someone she hates. 

“Alright, we can do that.” He nods his head, a small smile gracing his features. It’s quiet for a moment as you both stare at each other, the waves crashing lightly next to you and the moonlight illuminating both of your features. 

“Thank you again, Rafe.” You say quietly as you lean forward and wrap your arms around him. He holds you tightly and you pull away a few seconds later. 

“See you at surf day?” You call out as you begin to back away from him, keeping your eyes locked onto his the whole time. 

“I wouldn’t miss it.” He says honestly. You shoot him a shy smile and wave goodbye before turning back towards the party. 

He watches as you walk away and he can’t keep the smile off his face. That is until he sees you hop into JJs arms. JJ spins you around much like Rafe did only moments ago, but it looks more intimate. He can’t tear his eyes away as you stay in JJs arms comfortably unlike you did his. 

“What the fuck was that about?” Topper joins him followed by Kelce. Rafe turns to look at both boys as Topper hands him another solo cup. 

“It looks like we’re going to the pogues surf day tomorrow.” He says casually as he glances back over to you and Maybank, finding you both still embraced. 

He feels his stomach sink as he watches the blonde surfer look at you like you hung the moon. He’s never felt this feeling before and it causes him to frown. 

Kelce and Topper look at him as if he has lost his damn mind, but he only shrugs and heads to walk back towards their truck. 

“Come on, i'll explain everything on the way home.” He offers and both boys follow. 

Convincing Kelce and Topper to drop the feud that’s been ingrained into them since they were kids was going to be hard, but he has a feeling y/n might have a harder time getting the pogues to do the same before lunch tomorrow.


End file.
